If the cartridge is stuck...what I do when I have finally got it out is I take a 1/2", wire handle, fitting brush and crush the handle so it will fit all the way into the valve and scrub it smooth, then flush it, dry it and put a thin coat of silicone grease in the valve and on the cartridge, then install it...

If the cartridge is stuck...what I do when I have finally got it out is I take a 1/2", wire handle, fitting brush and crush the handle so it will fit all the way into the valve and scrub it smooth, then flush it, dry it and put a thin coat of silicone grease in the valve and on the cartridge, then install it...

Yes, but I ended up going to Home Depot and buying an off the shelf Moen unit and retrofited it to my valve. Thought I could use the guts from the new valve (positemp or whatever), but had to go back and buy the danco generic 1225. Worked like a champ. Only thing is that whoever plumbed it originally put it in about 5-10 degrees off from the correct angle for the tub enclosure. Pretty tough to fix without tearing out the wall. The valve isn't too bad/noticable with the style of the new handle, but the spout sitting at an angle is definitely noticable. Is copper pipe bendable enough to tweak to the correct angle or is that a no no?

Tub spouts come in two general attachment types: push on and screw on. If it is a push on, loosen the set screw, rotate it where you want it, then tighten the setscrew. Note, if it is really close, and they tightened it a lot, they may have made a dimple in the pipe with the screw making it hard to get a bite for the setscrew in a new, but close position.

If it is a screw on (no setscrew or hole in the bottom for access), then remove it, clean it up a little, then install new pipe dope and/or teflon tape and reinstall to get where you want it. If there's a nipple involved, it might come off with the spout...all is not lost, just redope that and reinsert it...don't cross-thread things. It should start easily for a few turns before it gets tight and you can't turn it with your hand. A screwdriver handle in the spout should give you enough leverage or use a strap wrench. If they used tape, you might be able to just turn it a little, but it is safer to start with fresh stuff (tape or dope).

Whoops... I guess I didn't explain clearly enough. When the spout is completely off and the copper stub is protruding from the wall (it is about 3" long), it (and the valve) is not at a 90 degree angle to the tub enclosure. More like 80 degrees. I'm wondering if I can just bend it to 90 or if I risk compromising the pipe inside the wall. It is basically a 90 stub fitting that is soldered into the bottom of the faucet valve and has an attachment flange that is screwed into a 2 x 4 support.

This means that when the spout is all the way attached and the base is touching the tub enclosure on one side, that there is about a 1/8"-3/16" gap on the opposite side. The spout is exactly perpendicular to the drain.